Home equity loans provide solution for home owners in Canada to get household financing planning back on track That is, unless you have a rich uncle to smooth out the stresses of the accumulation of debt, high interest rates, and/or needing some extra cash for education opportunities or a much needed extended holiday

Mortgage brokers across Ontario came under the regulation of the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (“FSCO”) on July 1, 2008 when Ontario’s Mortgage Brokerages, Lenders and Administrators Act, 2006 came into effect The new Act and regulations was put into place in order to protect consumers and mortgage professionals within the industry, and to ensure that Ontarians are dealing with fully credentialed, educated, experienced and suitable brokers and agents when they are arranging for a mortgage for their home or property

On July 9th, the Department of Finance moved to tighten Canada’s mortgages markets by announcing changes to the requirements for federally-backed mortgage insurance The changes set minimum credit scores that home purchasers must meet to qualify for mortgage insurance on so-called ‘high-ratio mortgages’’ while restricting amortization terms to 35 years and requiring a minimum 5% down payment on mortgages insured through the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) or other government-backed private mortgage insurers

Understanding what mortgages are and how they work can be mystifying for first-time homebuyers faced with the need to get financing to purchase their first home Technically, the type of mortgage that home buyers use to get a loan to purchase a home is a contractual instrument that gives the lender, known as the “mortgagee”, an interest and certain rights in the property purchased by the borrower, or “mortgagor” (When it comes time for you to read and review the documents setting out your mortgage, the easy way to keep the terms straight is to remember that the “e” that ends “mortgagee” is the same “e” at the beginning of “lender”, while the “or” at the end of “mortgagor” is the same “or” at the beginning of “borrower”

Home owners face a perennial refinancing decision each time the term on their existing home mortgage expires Do you renew your mortgage with your existing bank or lender, or should you shop around to see if better rates and terms are available from another lender

Home equity loans can allow Canadian homeowners to leverage the gains they made in what was until recently a red-hot housing market into investments in other sectors Home ownership, which was once the key fundamental to Canadians’ wealth accumulation strategies, while still important, will likely take a back seat as a strategy in the near term as investment savvy home owners shift their accumulated wealth into other markets

Second mortgages are allowing Canadians to realize their home renovation aspirations Canadian homeowners have accumulated significant equity in their homes as housing prices have increased year after year in what has been, until recently, the hottest housing market this country has witnessed since the end of the Second World War

Mortgage renewals are becoming a hot topic as Canadians weighing their home refinancing and mortgage renewal options continue to wrestle with a wealth of information about the economy, the housing markets in Canada and where interest rates are headed The Canadian economy and world economies, in general, seem to be in the midst of turbulent times

There is truly no place like home A place to call your own, invite friends over, and just feel that you’ve finally made it

Canadians looking at their home mortgage refinancing options should note a sea change in emphasis in the Bank of Canada’s policy focus that is affecting, and will in all likelihood continue to affect, Canadian mortgage markets Well, perhaps not a sea change, but there has been a decided shift in emphasis amongst Canada’s central bankers from spurring the economy through the use of rate cuts, back to keeping a wary eye on inflation